Glenn Weller, our crew leader, took these two photos of the completed Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty sponsored Habitat for Humantiy home.

What a dramatic sky. Thanks Glenn!

Well done everyone,

Tania Benninger

Our Habitat Build, by Gord Mepham

Many from CBPBR took part in this project to provide a home for a working family needing a “hand up”. Some helped with fundraising and the gala; some arranged food sponsors and coordinated the meals, while others participated in the build providing the tangible result of all these efforts. Soon, the Faulkner family will move in to their new home; an exciting time for them.

As I look back over all of this planning and activity, having been involved in both of our Habitat builds, I have a great feeling of satisfaction and appreciation for all of the people here and from outside of the company as well as many from the Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region organization who came together to make this happen. It sure is great to stand on Cherry Street and look at the result.

The first day I physically worked on the Cherry Street build, I did a variety of duties including installing fireproof calking around edges in the common wall (and some on me as well – this stuff really sticks!), as well as working on a small team doing some supplemental framing work. The day was sunny and hot, and the people on the site were great to work with. The food was good and plentiful, and by the end of the day, everyone was hot, tired, but enthused about the experience. We met new people, did work we had never done before and overall had a great day.

I also worked the 2nd last day of the build installing, resizing and leveling kitchen cabinet. I have gained a new level of respect for cabinet installers as a result. It was challenging but with a good team of people, we accomplished a lot of intricate work that day. Others were installing flooring, painting, tiling and some outside trim work (between the 3 downpours that fell from the sky). Another great day for yours truly – it was a wonderful experience.

We rescheduled our pot luck to a yet undetermined new date in September when hopefully all vacations are over and we can get a good turnout. More will come on this soon.

Today is the second last official-day of our build and its coming down to the final touches.

As if yesterday’s heat wave wasn’t enough, today it was the rain. Thankfully much of the work that needed to be done today was indoor stuff.

Today, volunteers were flooring, insulating, and putting in the kitchen cabinets.

Thanks to the hard work of everyone who pitched in over the course of this past month, the house has really come together.

The August 3, 2006 work crew

Gord Mepham

It was her day off, but Janice stopped by the house today to check things out (and give Glenn a hug).

Mark

flooring and cabinetry

Mick (left) and Stephanie Edwards (right), CBPBR's Senior mortgage consultant lent a helping hand today.

August 1, 2006

high of about 32 C yesterday

Well you can't blame this volunteer for taking a rest. With heat reaching a high of 32 C yesterday (and much worse with the humidity) it was a hot one!

Painting Crew

our painting crew was busy at the Habitat re-store yesterday painting doors and trim. Here is Kaitlyn, Marnie Slavnick and Annie Johnston taking a short time out to pose for this picture.

Taking care of the finer details

Anne Ramer

Progress as of July 24, 2006

Progress as July 19, 2006

drywalling is almost complete

Glenn and Eileen

The van Pelt's with daughter Steph

Leo and Jane have become familiar faces on this Habitat build. On Wednesday, daughter Stephanie joined them for some drywalling.

Janice Tessman, Building Project Co-ordinator

I caught up with Janice yesterday afternoon. Last week she was in Winnipeg leading an all women's build. Welcome back Janice!

teamwork

Scott Mills

Nina Brisevac

Gord Mepham and Molly Buckrell

An inside job

Marc LaCoste

Progress as of noon Day 8, July 13, 2006

It’s a hot and humid day, but construction is going well and we are hoping to start insulating tonight. We were slowed a bit by yesterdays torrential rains, but the house is looking great!

rain rain go away

Looks like we were rained out today and may need some extra volunteers out tommorow.

To serve and protect

This group shot is of the crew from the Waterloo Regional Police who came out to help on Monday.

Peter uses the Power Tool

Peter Benninger on the roof

Our very own Civil Engineer

Paul Eichinger

Donna Bowie

Progress as of Day 7, July 11, 2006

Progress as of Day 4, July 7, 2006

Dagwood sandwiches

Habitat build volunteers Mike and Dave have been impressing our kitchen ladies with their impressive sandwich making and eating abilities.

Day 3 progress as of about 7pm July 6 2006

Say Cheese

Thank you Jane and Leo for sending some of your great pics.

If you have any build photos you'd like to share, please forward them on to Tania.

raising walls

Marc LaCoste

Marc have you done this before? You sure look like you know what you're doing!

You're a brave man Leo

Krystyna Wojtynek

Sandy Shantz and Robert Hunsberger

Thanks Sandy for all the yummy Stone Crock potato salad !!!

food prep

Eric Reiner and Dave Johnson

A fine group of Realtors

David Johnson, Annie Johnston, Krystyna Wojtnek, Tracey Appleton, Albert Bauman, Eric Reiner

Girl Power

Our Crew Leader

Glenn Weller

Food crew

Left to Right: Doreen Shier, Hanna Lepisz, Molly Buckrell, Sharon McIntosh, Vi Horton

Habitat volunteers 'get hooked' as new townhomes take shape

The following article ran in the The Record today:

by Dayle Parker KITCHENER (Jul 6, 2006)

It was only Jane Van Pelt's second day on the job, but she was already beginning to get the hang of building a home.
"It's like putting a puzzle together," said Van Pelt.
First-timers and veteran volunteers donned hard hats and pieced together the wooden shell of a house, on day two of Habitat for Humanity's summer home building project in Kitchener. Construction began Tuesday.
Van Pelt, a realtor with Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty, will put in two weeks of mornings at the Cherry Street site with her husband, Leo, who is also a realtor with the company.
After years of selling homes, she said seeing the construction side is giving her a new appreciation for the work that goes into building a house.
"The thing that strikes me most is how detail-oriented you have to be," Van Pelt said.
The townhouse complex at the end of Cherry Street in Kitchener is Habitat for Humanity's sole project in Waterloo Region this year.
But it's a large-scale project which will provide housing units for 19 families in the region once finished.
Nancy Mattes, Habitat for Humanity's fund development manager, said the organization hopes to have the first five units completed for September.
She said they're aiming to have all five families settled before Christmas.
Anne Faulkner is looking forward to moving her family into a brand-new two-storey home.
Faulkner currently shares a tiny Kitchener apartment with her four children -- Brandon, 18, Cameron, 16, Melanie, 14, and Bethany, 7 -- and the family's dog.
"We're pretty crowded where we are," she said.
Faulkner helped put together her future home along with volunteers from Coldwell Banker Peter Benninger Realty, Orchard Design, and Habitat for Humanity.
"I find it very amazing so many different people come out," Faulkner said of the build.
Habitat for Humanity volunteer Terry Dorscht said that part of the reward in doing this type of work is getting to spend time with the families they build for.
"You meet lots of nice people here," said Dorscht, a retired Waterloo resident who is in his fourth year as a Habitat builder.
"You just get hooked really," said Glenn Weller, who is managing this phase of the project in the role of house leader.
Weller said he has learned a great deal about tolerance through teaching volunteers to build.
He said having a good ratio of experienced and inexperienced volunteers makes for a good building environment.
"A lot of people are surprised at how easy it is," Weller said.
Crews start the day just after 7 a.m. with coffee and "devotionals," which include inspirational stories and prayers.
Weller said the morning shift, usually about 20 volunteers, works until 1 p.m., when lunch is provided. After that, an afternoon shift of 15-20 people take over.
Construction began on Tuesday on an already-poured concrete base.
The first step for volunteers was constructing the wooden frame of the first floor.
Weller said the crew expects to be putting up roof shingles by Sunday.
Next week comes drywall and siding.
Habitat aims to finish the first unit by August 4, Weller said.
Crews will begin framing the other units during the second week of August

The van Pelt's

They sell real estate together, now they swing hammers together. Leo and Jane van Pelt.

Gettin it done

Don Shiell

Day 2 progress as of about 11am July 5 2006

Margit Klein our food-tent coordinator extraordinaire!

Tracey Appleton strikes a pose

Framing on day one

Day 1 progress as of aprox. 5pm

Day 1 progress as of aprox. 5pm

Need caffeine

Leo van Pelt and another volunteer carrying the most important piece of equipment - the coffee!